How to Marry a Matador (Exclusive Sneak Preview) Read Online Free PDF Page B

holding this?” he asked,
depositing the satchel in her arms. He withdrew a light picnic
blanket from its interior and spread it beneath the craggy branches
of an ancient tree.
    “Won’t you sit?” he said, retrieving the bag
to lay it on the ground, where he kneeled beside it.
    Jess sat uncertainly at a safe distance,
taking in the lovely landscape, the ranch, and the riding ring
barely visible beyond the rolling vineyards. “How much property do
you own?” she asked.
    “Enough to get by,” he said, uncorking the
wine. “Although it’s not really mine.” He handed her a plastic cup
filled to the brim with the lush, aromatic wine.
    “It smells divine,” she said, taking a sip
and appreciating its full-bodied warmth and peppery finish. “Hmm.
Is this one of yours?”
    “A Bodega Garcia 2005. Do you like it?”
    Jess more than liked it. It was fabulous, as
was this place. Yet, she reminded herself, Fernando hadn’t taken
her into the country for some casual wine tasting. There were more
serious matters at play. “It’s delicious,” she said, cupping her
glass in both hands. “Now, your story?”
    Fernando sighed, worry lines creasing his
brow. “You’re terribly angry with me, aren’t you?”
    “It takes two to tango, Fernando. I’m not
saying all of this is your fault. I played a part in what happened
yesterday too.”
    He turned toward her with a penetrating look.
“That’s what I don’t understand. Why did you?”
    Jess felt a lurch of emotion as he dissected
her with his earnest green gaze. “I…don’t know.”
    He leaned toward her with a husky whisper.
“Oh, but I think you do.”
    He drew nearer, his mouth hovering over hers.
Jess cursed herself for so badly wanting his kiss. His kisses had
been so tantalizing last night, they’d made her lose all sense of
reason. And it wasn’t just the way he’d held her. When he’d looked
deep in her eyes and said that one thing, she’d inexplicably
believed him as she had no man before.
    “Why did you?”
    Fernando reached out and cupped her chin in
his hand. “Because, querida, when I saw you standing there
in that garden, with that beautiful smile on your lips, I knew with
a certainty that I’d have to claim them. That I wouldn’t rest until
I made you mine.”
    “It was a simple sexual attraction.”
    “There was nothing simple about it,” he said,
brushing his lips to hers.
    Jess closed her eyes as her heart stilled.
She couldn’t let herself do this, but she couldn’t stop herself
either. His masculine scent washed over her as she felt his palm
press into the small of her back.
    “Jessica,” he said, resting his forehead on
hers. “When I tell you the truth about this morning, I don’t want
you to believe that anything last night was a lie.” And then to
prove it, he kissed her deeply, with a skill and a passion that
made her lose grip of her wine, sending the contents of her cup
sloshing sideways.
    “Your sister’s riding pants,” she said,
nearly breathless.
    “They’ll wash,” he said, tenderly stroking
her thigh.
    “Fernando,” Jess gasped, pulling back. “We
can’t.”
    He studied her a thoughtful moment as she
gazed at him wide-eyed.
    “Then we won’t,” he said with a quick peck on
her lips.
    She shivered involuntarily in spite of
herself. This man had a way of completely undoing her.
    “We’ll have a little something to eat first.”
He pulled several small bundles from his bag, along with a small
knife and a cutting board.
    “While we talk?”
    “Of course,” he said, handing her a napkin
for her slacks. “Then afterwards, I’ll let you decide.”
    “Decide what?”
    Fernando shot her a sexy grin as he refilled
her wine.
    “Whether or not I’m the husband of your
dreams.”
     
     
    ****
     

Chapter Four
     
    “So, it’s not true,” Jess said with relief.
“We’re not really married?”
    Fernando took a slow sip of his wine,
perusing her over the rim of his cup. “In the eyes of the